


A Push in the Wrong Direction

by Mousey_Girl



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Babysitting, Childhood Trauma, Hurt Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Pedophilia, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker has PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape/Non-con Elements, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:15:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23206837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mousey_Girl/pseuds/Mousey_Girl
Summary: Peter's has been living a nightmare since he met Skip. The man, who was once his babysitter, began taking advantage of the boy soon after his 10th birthday. Finally, Peter is pushed too far, and he pushes back.Maybe he pushed a little too hard, because now he has the body of his abuser on his floor, and he's shaking too hard to know what to do.He needs Tony.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Skip Westcott
Comments: 14
Kudos: 147





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kbrow378](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kbrow378/gifts).



> A prompt that I saw on Kbrow378’s account. She said that it was okay for me to borrow it, so this is my take. The prompt was: Peter makes a mistake defending himself, and kills his would be rapist.

“Stop! Skip! I-I don’t like this.” This wasn’t a new thing, this was far from the first time it happened to Peter, but for the first time, he was feeling like maybe he could do something about it. Maybe he was finally strong enough to protect himself. Skip had been doing this for 5 years now, even after Peter was old enough to not need a babysitter, the man always found a way to sneak into his life. He would corner him, tower over the short teen, and begin to undress him.

“Come on now, Einstein, I always make you feel so good. Why do we have to go through this every time? Why won’t you just  _ give up? _ ” He asked, then, a disgusting smirk spread across his face. “Oh, I know, you don’t wanna do this in case your new  _ daddy _ finds out. I’m sure you’ve shown him all the things I taught you.” Peter paled as he realized who the man was talking about.

“Mr...Mr. Stark isn’t like that!” He argued, “He isn’t like  _ you. _ He isn’t a  _ pedophile _ .” This did not make Skip happy, and the smirk on his face turned to a glare quickly.

The man was older, and bigger, and much,  _ much _ scarier. But Peter? Peter was stronger. He had been ever since the bite, and ever since he helped Mr. Stark during the fight against Thanos, he had been feeling so much braver. 

“I’m warning you Skip, I’m not a kid anymore. I-I’ll hurt you.” He tried to sound brave, but Skip just smirked, and Peter felt all the fight leave him. He was back to the scared, weak 10 year old he had been when it all started.

Then, his clothes were gone, and Skip’s fingers were in him, and Peter wanted to throw up. He couldn’t keep doing this, every time it felt like he was going to die, like part of him  _ was _ dying. He couldn’t.

But he couldn’t fight him, he didn’t know what to do. He thought about calling Mr. Stark, but he didn’t wanna bother him. He was busy after everything that had happened, fighting to insure the peace that they had gained. Not to mention, healing from the injuries he sustained during the final fight. Peter knew it wasn’t true, but he couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t needed anymore. Peter was angry, he realized. And sad, and hurt. 

Next, Skip was inside him again, and Peter just couldn’t take it anymore. He pushed him off,  _ hard _ and the man hit the wall, his head connecting painfully. There were tears streaming down Peter’s face, and he was shaking, and whimpering. He looked down.

He was bleeding too. 

Peter screamed, holding his head in his hands. He just screamed, and screamed. He didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t breathe, and Skip wasn’t moving. He-he wasn’t breathing.

The teen boy’s heart stopped at the realization. He had killed him, he was a murderer. He was horrible. He was a killer. Peter felt his stomach roll, but he couldn’t even force himself to the bathroom. He reached his hands and knees before it came up. It was mostly bile, as there was very little in his stomach to start with. But after that was done, he just sat there, gagging. 

And crying.

“Mr. Stark...Aunt May...Happy…” Peter prayed for anyone he could to come and help. And his prayers were answered. 

A knock on the door, that was all it took.

“Hey, kid, you good in there? Fri say’s your heart is through the roof...Kid?” He asked again when there wasn’t an answer. Mr. Stark was there, Mr. Stark would help. Tony would fix this.

“Mr...Stark...Please.” He managed to get out, and that was all it took, the door was down, and his mentor was looking in on the scene. As his eyes fell on Peter, his face took on a horror stricken look, and Peter curled into himself.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Peter motion to the body of Skip. “I didn’t mean to…” He sobbed, looking at Mr. Stark. “I’m sorry…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Mr. Stark rushed into action, checking first on his intern. 

“Hey, Pete, it’s okay, I’m right here.” Tony tried to peel Peter off the floor, but the harder he tried, the tighter Peter curled in on himself. Finally, Tony gave up for a few moments so that he could check on the other man.

He was quite a bit older than Peter, maybe a few years older than Tony himself. He wasn’t breathing, and his eyes were blown wide with an unseeing look to them.

He was dead, that Tony knew. And Peter had killed him. Worst, was by the look of Peter right now, Tony understood why.

He could look at the clues around the room and get an idea of what happened, but that didn’t change what had happened. Tony did the number one thing he could to fix this situation.

He called Happy.

Once he was done with the bare minimum that Happy needed, he went back to his subordinate. 

Tony felt the blood rushing to his ears as he looked upon the crumpled form of his intern, and could easily see what had taken place. He saw the hand shaped bruises on his hips, the blood caked on his thighs, and the wrinkled set of clothing across the room. 

Tony removed his own jacket, draping it over the shaking boy in front of him. The boy he was trying to protect by distancing himself, instead, he had let him get hurt in a way that not even his super healing could fix. 

“Peter, I’m right here, I’ve got you.” Tony reassured gently, trying to provide him with the comforts that he wished someone had given him in the midst of his panic attacks. 

Peter’s hysterical sobs lasted much longer than Tony thought they could. It seemed never ending, shaking, crying, begging, and, worse of all, apologizing to the man he had killed.

Tony only thought that if Peter hadn’t, he would have done it himself. He could have killed the man 10 times over for hurting this child, and not even begun to feel bad. 

Happy entered the room a few moments later, taking in the scene around him with a carefully crafted expression. Tony looked up at the man pathetically, not knowing what to do about either the body or the now slowly calming boy.

Finally, Peter looked up, reaching out for Tony, hands reaching out like a child in need of comfort.

Tony was heartbroken at the fact that that was exactly what Peter was. Despite everything they had been through, and the snap, Peter was only 15 years old, barely in high school, not even old enough to drive. 

“Mr...Stark.” He sniffed, and then made a face like it physically hurt. “I-I killed him...didn’t I?” He already knew the answer, but he needed to hear it, needed someone else to condemn him.

“He’s dead Pete, but whatever happened here, it wasn’t your fault.” Tony was taken back by Happy’s voice cutting through, saying exactly the things that he was thinking. “Boss, you get him out of here, I’ll do what I have to, and get back to you.” Happy instructed, looking at the body of the rapist critically. Tony nodded, standing up and helping the young spider boy up, offering all the support that the boy needed. Happy handed them Peter’s clothes from the other side of the room, his expression dangerously blank.

Peter dressed without a word, then picked back up Tony’s jacket. He looked at it for a long moment, before Tony nodded.

“You can keep it buddy.” Peter stuck his arms through the sleeves, sighing as they strayed just a little below the wrists, covering half his hands. Then, they began the painfully walk to the door. Tony looked at Peter, eying him carefully.

“We-we should get you looked at, buddy. Make sure nothing is badly damaged.” Peter was shaking his head even before Tony finished.

“No, I’m fine. This time wasn’t that bad.” Tony stopped dead in his tracks at that statement. 

“Th-this time?” He croaked. Peter paled, realizing what he had said, seeming to understand the exhausting conversation he had just condemned himself to. Peter wouldn’t meet Tony’s eyes. 

“I’m fine, please, I don’t want anyone else to know. I just wanna shower.” Tony was about to argue, but the look Peter gave him was so compelling that he couldn’t force himself to. He just sighed, nodding.

“Okay, kid, let’s get you back to the tower.” 

They made their way down and out of the building, and Peter saw the two cars there, one for Tony and one for Happy. Tony opened the door, and the Intern hesitated again, looking uncomfortable.

“I don’t wanna get your seat dirty.” He muttered, and the older man paled. 

“Pete, buddy, don’t worry about that. Just, come on, let's get you home and cleaned up.” Tony fought back the tears that sprung to his eyes, guiding the boy gently to sit in the passenger's seat. Finally, Tony made his way around to his side of the car, and began driving.

In that moment, Tony swore he would  _ never _ let someone else hurt this boy again. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, short chapter for today, because I've been very busy! Next one is twice the size, so look forward to it!

**Chapter Three:**

The ride to the tower was filled with silence, only interrupted by the sniffles of the young teen to Tony’s right. His eyes were red rimmed, and he seemed exhausted, which Tony couldn’t really blame him for. Having suffered his fair share of panic attacks after the battle of New York, he knew how much they took out of you. 

Finally, they arrived back at the newly acquired building, and it looked rather different than the last time Peter had seen it, which would make sense, that was over five years ago. 

“Hey buddy, we’re here. Should we head up?” Peter looked over at Mr. Stark, his eyes far off.

“Shouldn’t you take me to the police station? I-I killed a man Mr. Stark, I’m a murderer. I-I deserve to go to jail.” Peter knew that Mr. Stark likely wouldn’t agree, but he needed to hear it from him. He needed the reassurance from the only father figure in his life. 

“Peter, you aren’t gonna go to jail. In my eyes, you’ve done nothing wrong. That... _ monster _ got exactly what he deserved. Well, maybe less than he deserved, it seemed like a pretty quick death.” Tony spat viciously, his eyes blazing. Peter couldn’t even process what he was saying, he was so distant from his emotions and fears, that they just didn’t register. 

“I-I didn’t mean to.” He said, for quite possibly the hundredth time. Tony sighed.

“I know you didn’t, Happy is gonna handle it, we will see what he says is best. For now, let’s get you cleaned up. Pepper and Morgan are coming to town today, we could invite your Aunt over, maybe have dinner together?” Peter nodded, feeling numb. The boy stood, slinking out of the car and towards the entrance of the building.

Tony took a deep breath, collecting himself before he followed. The lobby was booming, employees moving in and out, talking, scanning badges, and so on. Peter stood there, clearly uncomfortable. 

“I don’t have my badge, I-I don’t know where...when I came back, all of my stuff was gone. We never found it.” Peter admitted. Tony wanted to cry at the realization. This boy, who had died during the snap, was brought back with nothing to his name. And Tony, the  _ asshole _ he was, left him on his own. He had been keeping an ear out, making sure he didn’t get in too much trouble, keeping tabs on May’s bank account. But it wasn’t enough, he wasn’t there for Pete, like he should have been. 

He had failed him, but he wasn’t about to let that happen again. 

“That’s okay Pete, we’ll get you another one later. For now, let’s just go up.” Tony led him forward to the elevators, and Peter just fell into step behind him, letting Tony do whatever he wanted.

The room upstairs looked different too, though not as much as Peter thought it might. The concept was still that open idea, the bar off to the side, and a couch sitting against the wall.

“Can I- can I go shower?” Peter asked, looking unbelievably uncomfortable. Tony felt a pang of pity hit his chest.

“Yeah, of course bud, I’ll find you some clothes to wear, and drop them off in the bathroom.” Tony said, Peter was already walking down the hall before he finished. The door closed and the water turned on seconds later.

Tony took a moment to pour himself a glass of whatever he had on hand that was strong enough to take the edge off, before going to his room and pulling out some sweats and an old MIT hoodie. He followed it with a pair of boxers, and some fuzzy socks.

He gave Peter a moment more before knocking on the door.

No response. Knocking again, he opened it just a crack.

“Pete? Bud? I got something for you to wear…” Tony heard the crash first, and he realized that he must have startled Peter enough for him to fall. He rushed into the bathroom, calling the boy’s name. “I’m gonna open the curtain, okay?” He hesitated before flinging the curtain back and looking upon the heartbreaking scene.

Peter had fallen unceremoniously to the floor of the bathtub, but instead of standing back up, he just curled into himself. His shoulders started shaking, and his sobs became apparent.

“Oh, honey…” Tony reached out, to turn off the water. He hissed at the high temperature, but held back a reprimand. That could wait, first he needed to be sure that his intern was okay. As soon as the water turned off, the steam began to clear. In any other situation, Tony would feel awkward seeing the naked form of the boy, but at this moment, all he felt was pity. 

And a surge of protectiveness. The towel was pulled from the hook and wrapped around Peter’s shoulders tightly, and he was pulled into waiting arms. For a few heartbeats, Peter tensed, but finally, he fell into Tony, crying out in pain and anguish. But this was a huge step, he wasn’t pushing him away, he was trusting him.

Tony was not going to break that trust.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

It took quite a bit of time for Peter to get dressed, but Tony just stood there, supporting him. The clothes he wore were much too big on him, but the sight of it warmed Tony’s heart a little. 

“Feeling a little better?” He asked, helping the boy dry his hair. Peter nodded, very slowly, and looked up at Tony.

“I’m sorry.” He said, this time, he was talking to his mentor, not about the body, but about his actions minutes ago. Tony smiled reassuringly.

“Nothing to be sorry about, bud. Although, when you’re ready, I think we need to have a talk.” Tony was prepared for the flinch, but it didn’t stop his heart from squeezing anyway.

“I-I don’t know if I can…” Peter tried, wringing his hands together. 

“It doesn’t have to be now, you can take your time. I just, you can trust me, Pete. I’m here for you.” He felt Peter tense a that, and he looked at Tony, his eyes showing so much hurt.

“Can I?” He asked, and Tony flinched at the flash of anger there. “I-I thought I could, but...but now I’m not so sure.” Peter spat, turning away from the man.

Tony felt his throat constrict, and he had to swallow a few times before he was able to say anything. He had never seen Peter angry before, he had seen him scared, and hurt, and crying. But anger was a completely new emotion. 

“I-I know that maybe I haven’t been there as much as I should have been, but I was scared, Peter!” Tony said, a little too loudly. The boy looked up surprised, and the billionaire knew he had to admit his feelings, or the boy just wouldn’t understand. “I-god- I already watched you die once. I couldn’t do it again. People around me get hurt, and I didn’t want that to happen to you. You’re so strong, and innocent, and  _ good _ . I didn’t want to corrupt you.” Tony admitted, even though it was the truth, it felt like a pathetic excuse.

“Innocent...that isn’t a word I would use to describe myself. Not for quite a while now.” Peter spat, his nails digging into the skin of his upper arms. Peter was hugging himself tightly, as though trying to keep his body from shaking apart.

“Oh god, don’t say that Pete. What- what do you mean by ‘quite a while’ bud. How long? How long was that monster hurting you?” Tony knew the man’s name, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Peter tensed again, shaking his head.

“It doesn’t matter. I killed him, he can’t anymore. He-he won’t hurt me, or anyone, ever again.” Peter had a sadistic glint in his eye, but it was replaced by a disgusted expression within moments, Peter looked up at the older man next to him, his eyes asking for forgiveness. “I didn’t mean that. Oh god.” Peter lurched forward and gagged over the toilet. If there was anything left in his system, it would have been purged. But instead, he just clenched the bowl, gagging.

“It’s okay, Peter. You’re okay. I’m right here.” Tony soothed, rubbing the boy’s back.

Finally, after what felt like hours, he flushed the toilet, wiping his sweat soaked forehead.

“I’m tired, Mr. Stark. Can I...Do you think I could borrow the guest room for a little bit?” Tony nodded quickly.

“Of course, you go rest. I’ll call your Aunt and let her know you’re with me. Just rest.” Peter looked up at Tony fearfully.

“You can’t, please, don’t tell her...about- please.” He couldn’t string together the words, but Tony understood.

“It’s okay, Pete, I won’t yet. But eventually, she will need to know. But we can do it together when that time comes.” Tony squeezed his shoulder and nudged him to the guest room. “For now, you can relax. I’ll get you when dinner is ready.” 

Peter nodded and walked to the room, climbing into the bed and collapsing. He prayed to whatever God was out there that it would be a dreamless sleep.

Tony made his way back to the kitchen, sitting down at the island with a huff.

“What’s wrong?” Tony jumped a foot in the air, before he turned with a tired smile and looked upon his wife and child.  
“Oh! My two favorite girls!” He smiled like the doting parent he was, reaching down and scooping up Morgan. He smothered her with kisses, and she giggled.

“Daddy! Stop! It tickles!” She squealed, kicking out her hello kitty clad feet. 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough!” Pepper snatched back her daughter, setting her down. “Why don’t you go put your toys in the living room, dad and I will be there in a minute, we just need to have a quick talk.” She smiled at Morgan, and as the girl trotted away, she looked at Tony again.

“Okay, Tony, talk to me. I know that worried dad look, and I know it’s not about Morgan this time.” Her eyes widened as things seemed to click into place. “Is Peter okay?” She asked, very quietly. Tony felt all the energy leave his body, and he sat back down, running his hands through his hair. 

“To be honest, no. Karen told me something was wrong, and I went to get him, and, he was hurt…” Pepper looked confused, but didn’t say anything, she just rubbed her husband’s back, letting him continue when he was ready. “Not so much physically, but, in another way.” Tony couldn’t bring himself to tell her, not to mention it wasn’t his place. 

“Tony, whatever it is, he’ll get through it, he always does. He’s a strong boy.” Pepper reassured him.

“Did I abandon him, Pep? If, maybe if I had paid more attention, _been there_. He wouldn’t be hurt like this. God, I’m a failure, I failed him.” Pepper thought very carefully about what to say next, but finally settled on:  
“I don’t think you ignoring him was the right choice, but you did. You did it for him, and maybe that wasn’t right, maybe it hurt him, but that doesn’t change things now. I don’t know what happened, but from the way you are acting, he needs you now. So buck up, fix this, and just ‘be there’ _now!_ ” Pepper said, her trademark look she gave Tony as if she was stating the obvious, but there was love there too.

“You’re right, Pep, you always are.” He smiled, kissing her on the cheek. “I need to call May, then I’ll join you.” Pepper smiled and walked out of the room, and Tony could hear her cooing over Morgan.

Tony pulled out his phone, finding May’s number under “Hot Aunt”. He needed to change that before Pepper saw, but for now, he just pressed it and waited with bated breath for an answer.

“Hello?” Tony couldn’t tell if it was confusion over who he was, or why he was calling, so he just answered both.

“Hey, May, this is Tony Stark. I’m-I’m calling about Peter.” He paused and heard as May rushed out of whatever room she was nursing in, and into a quieter place.

“Mr. Stark, is everything okay? What happened?” Tony winced, knowing that would be the million dollar question. 

“I got a warning that Peter was hurt, and he wasn’t answering his phone, so I went to check in on him. He had been in an...altercation. He wasn’t hurt too badly, but he was pretty shaken, so I brought him back to the tower. I thought maybe, when you’re done, you could come over. Pepper and Morgan are here too, we could just eat together. Then, we can see where to go from there.”

May was silent for a rather long time, before she sighed tiredly.

“Listen, Mr. Stark, I appreciate you helping Peter when he needed it, I really do, but maybe that isn’t the best thing for you to do. The truth is, Peter has been broken up these past few months. This entire world has changed, and he didn’t know how to deal. And you didn’t help. Leaving him high and dry, when he thought you needed him, when he thought he finally had a place he belonged. Tony, he cried, everynight, and you did that. So, I promise you, if you are doing this for some sick game, I will  _ not _ allow it. You will not hurt my child again.” May finished, and Tony could hear the glare in her voice. Tony had to swallow multiple times before he was able to say anything.

“I’m sorry, May, I swear to you, it was not my intention. I wanted to protect him, not hurt him more. I’m sorry, but I can’t give this up. God, when I saw him again, I realized what I had lost, and how I missed him, and I  _ can’t _ do that again. I can’t lose him.” Tony couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, he let them fall, just trying to muffle the sobs. 

May’s voice seemed gentler. 

“Good, that’s all I needed to hear. What time is dinner?” She asked, and Tony let out one pitiful sob.

“6:30.”

“I’ll see you then.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Tony wiped his tears as he made his way to the living room, stopping only to quietly open Peter’s door and make sure all was well. The boy was knocked out, seeming to be so deeply asleep he wasn’t even dreaming. Tony hoped it stayed that way. 

“Daddy! We’re playing princess! Wanna join?” Morgan asked, big brown eyes looking at him. He smiled.

“Of course. That would mean I’m the King?” He asked, standing tall and looking proud.

“Nope!” She popped the P and looked back up at him. “You’re the doggy!” Tony gave a fake hurt expression but secretly was smiling. He really loved his daughter, so he played along without complaint.

An hour later, they decided it was time to get started on dinner. So the family made it to the kitchen, pulling out the makings of spaghetti. Peter’s favorite. Morgan helped Pepper boil the water and break the pasta so it fit in the pot, Tony browned the meat, and seasoned it. All was well, and for a few moments, Tony was able to forget all the horrible things that had happened that day.

The calm was shattered rather quickly, by a scream.

Morgan jumped, and immediately started crying. He left her with Pepper as he ran to the guest room, opening the door and looking upon the scene.

Peter, who an hour ago had been sleeping fine, was tangled in his sheets, tossing and crying. 

“No! Stop! Let me go!” He begged, bucking against an invisible force. “Please! Not again!” Tony felt his face pale, and realized he had no idea what to do? Should he wake him? Or let him sleep? He couldn’t just leave him be, not when he was screaming, crying, begging. “Help! Please! Mr. Stark!” That did the trick, as Tony burst into action. He rushed to the side of the boy, calling his name.

“Pete? Buddy, wake up. It’s me, it’s Tony. I need you to open your eyes.” He instructed calmly and slowly. Peter kept crying, but it seemed less panicked now, more defeated. Tony kept encouraging him, slowly. “That’s it bud, come on, wake up for me.” Slowly, ever so slowly, Peter’s eyes opened and he looked at his boss.

“Mr. Stark? What?” He sat up quickly, almost bumping heads with Tony as he did. “Why am I...oh.” He said, as he remembered earlier that day. His eyes lowered in shame, and Tony felt his heart break all over again.

“Hey, how you holding up?” He asked, offering an encouraging smile.

“I’m fine, but, uh, I think I should be heading home.” Peter said, refusing to look into the older man’s eyes. Tony was already shaking his head.

“I called your Aunt, she’ll be here in about 45 minutes, we’re cooking dinner now. If you would like to join us?” Tony asked, Peter hesitated, but nodded. “Awesome. Pepper and Morgan are out in the kitchen, you can join us whenever you’re ready.” He said, purposefully making sure not to push the boy. Again, he nodded. 

Tony tried not to let his disappointment show as he nodded too, smiling again. He left the room, joining the girls in the kitchen. 

It was another few minutes before Peter came out to join them, and if Tony was being honest, the boy looked like shit. His hair was ruffled, as were his clothes, and his eyes looked devoid of any emotion.

Morgan looked up surprised, and smiled very large.

“Are you Petey?” She asked, and Peter looked up, something flashing across his eyes. Slowly, he nodded, and Morgan kicked out of her mother’s hold and trotted over to him. “Hello! I’m Morgan.” She said, thrusting her hand out like she knew her father did. Peter flinched just a little before he took it with a kind smile.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Morgan. I’m your dad’s...um, intern.” Peter settled on, Morgan looked confused, and shook her head.

“I don’t know what that means, but Daddy says you’re kinda like another kid to him. So that would make you my big brother right?” She asked, looking proud that she had made the connection herself. Peter looked a little taken aback, and then his eyes filled with tears, and he lowered his head.

“His-his kid?” Peter stuttered out. Morgan turned her head to face her mom and dad. They were both smiling, which just confused her more.

“Did I say something wrong?” She asked, looking between the adults and the older boy. Finally, she settled on the older boy, and reached out a very small hand. She patted his head, carefully. “It’s okay Petey, I’m sorry if I said something mean. I didn’t mean to…” She felt tears gather in her eyes, but she held them back. Peter shook his head, smiling through the tears.

“No, Morgan, you didn’t say anything wrong. I’m just happy.” She looked confused, and wiped the tears from the boy’s eyes. 

“Why are you crying if you’re happy?” She asked, her eyes still shining. Peter shrugged.

“Cause I’m upset too, but not at you. At myself.” He explained, taking her tiny hand in his own. “Thank you, you made me feel better.” Morgan smiled, and nodded. Then, she ran back over to her mom, and looked up.

“Mommy, the food’s gonna burn.” Pepper nodded and brought the girl back over to the food, letting her help stir it. 

Tony made his way over to, as Morgan put it, his other kid. He offered his hand, as if to ask if it was okay to touch him, and Peter just nodded.

Tony pulled him into his arms, resting a kiss on the crown of his head. 

“I’m sorry I never told you, but it’s true. You managed to wiggle your way into my life and heart, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, maybe that’s a lie. I wish I hadn’t pushed you away, and I’m so so sorry for that. I could apologize for the rest of my life, and it wouldn’t be enough. But, do you think you could still forgive me?” Tony asked, knowing that this was the moment of truth. If Peter said no, this would all be over, he would lose him again. He held his breath.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark! I’m-I’m really happy. Of course I forgive you, and I’m sorry too. I-I never thought about it from your point of view.” They stood there for a few moments, Tony just holding the boy, when a throat was cleared. Peter jumped and looked up to see his Aunt there.

“Well, if you’re done, is it okay for me to hold my nephew as well?” Aunt May asked, opening her arms. Peter smiled and made his way over to her. She engulfed him in a warm embrace, and Peter sighed into it. When she pulled back, she wrapped her hands around his face, searching it carefully. “Are you okay, honey? You’re-you’re not hurt are you?” She asked, watching carefully for any lie. 

“I’m...not hurt.” He said, looking away. He caught the eye of Mr. Stark, and sighed. “I-I’ll tell you about it later. I just, I don’t wanna think about it right now.” He tried, Aunt May watched him for a moment more before sighing. 

“Okay, okay, well, I was promised food, and let me tell you, I am starving.” She smiled kindly at her nephew again and brushed past him and Tony toward the kitchen. They heard her asking if the girls needed help, and they exchanged greetings. Tony wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders and steered him toward the kitchen again. Before they entered, he looked at the boy seriously.

“You know, I was being honest.” Peter looked at him confused. “When I said you could tell me anything. I’m not gonna make the same mistake and mess up again. I’ll prove it to you.” Peter blinked, but then smiled, leaning his head against Tony’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.”   
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I've been updating everyday, because I've had freetime, but I was recently admitted to a treatment program for PTSD, and I won't be able to update as often. I'll try still, but please be understanding.  
> This story is really close to my heart as much of the things Peter experiences I have dealt with personally.   
> Thank you for understanding!

**Chapter Six:**

Dinner went well, Morgan took a liking to May and Peter very quickly, and insisted that after dinner they all played together. She assured them that she had brought enough Barbies for all of them. May smiled, and although she looked completely wiped out, told the little girl that she would love to play. 

Peter smiled, and it almost reached his eyes. When they all finished eating, Peter eating much less than usual at only two plates. Tony didn’t say anything, because he knew that the boy was likely still pretty shaken up. Not only by what had happened, but by the fact that Tony now knew about it. Tony and Pepper started on the dishes while Morgan dragged her new friends out of the room. 

Pepper smiled as she heard Morgan loudly explaining how to play, and the roles of each person. 

“I don’t think we will ever hear the end of Morgan asking about Peter now.” Pepper said, Tony smiled. 

“I want to ask May if it’s okay for Peter to spend a little more time with us. At the lab or the cabin, anywhere he wants. I-I missed him, Pep.” Tony admitted, as though it was some big secret. Pepper shook her head.

“I know you did, hun. We all knew you did. Just...make sure he knows as well. And...you know I love you, Tony, but if you hurt that boy again, I swear, you will be sleeping on the couch for a year.” She threatened. Tony nodded, and kissed her on the cheek.

“I’m gonna go check on them, I think it’s about time we get Morgan ready for bed. Are you okay with staying at the tower tonight?” He asked, he knew she had a meeting the next morning, and wanted to make sure she had what she needed. He knew that Morgan and Pepper could go home if they wanted, but he didn’t wanna say goodbye to his girls, and he  _ knew  _ Peter wasn’t ready to go home.

“Yeah, we’ll spend the night here. I’ll text Happy so he knows where to pick me up.” She said, Tony gave her one more kiss before joining his kids in the living room.

“Alright, Morgan, it’s time to get ready for bed.” He said, the girl looked up from her really intense attempt at dressing her doll, and then at the other two people in the room.

“Oh, Papa, it’s not even a school night. Can’t I stay up just a little bit longer?” She asked, her eyes so big and innocent. Tony knew he was being played, but it still took all his effort to shake his head.

“Good try, Princess, but Daddy and Peter and Aunt May need to have a...grown up talk.” He said. He didn’t miss the way that Peter flinched or the way that May scooted protectively closer to the boy. 

Morgan held his eyes for a moment more before she realized she wasn’t gonna win, then the facade dropped. She sighed disappointedly, and shook her head. 

“Okay, daddy.” She said, hopping up and waltzing off to find Pepper. 

“I can help you get ready, Morgan. It doesn’t always have to be mom!” He called over his shoulder, they heard a shout that sounded like something along the lines of:

“Daddy always messes up my hair!” Tony smiled at that, shrugging.

“She’s got me there.” He said, falling onto the couch and leaning his head back, looking every bit his age and then some.

“Yeah, I never messed up Peter’s hair when he was younger.” May said, standing and brushing off her scrubs, before joining the man on the couch. Peter stayed on the floor, not sure he was ready to stand yet.

“That’s not quite true, Aunt May, I still have the pictures from the first time you cut my hair, and that was about as messed up as you can get.” Peter teased, and May blushed.

“Yeah, you got  _ me _ there.” They sat in silence for a little longer, and finally Peter sighed, running his hands up and down his arms. May’s eyebrows furrowed, she could spot Peter’s anxious ticks from a mile away.

“Pete, honey, I don’t know what happened, or what you’re scared of, but you  _ know  _ you can tell me anything. I’m not gonna judge you, or love you any less. No matter what.” She finished, and by the end of it, Peter had tears in his eyes again, but he hid them in his arms.

“Skip…” Peter said, and then stopped short, gasping as if the name alone was too much to handle. Tony could see May’s brain processing what he was saying.

“The man you met at the library all those years ago?” She asked, not having any clue where this was going. “I remember, he babysat for a while, before you would refuse. I always wondered what happened to him. He seemed like a nice man.” Both Tony and Peter flinched at that, and May knew there was something else going on, and that whatever followed she was sure she wouldn’t like. 

“He- I didn’t wanna- but...pictures first.” Peter said, a sentence that could only make sense to him, but May nodded kindly.

“It’s okay Honey, you can tell me. But, I need you to start from the beginning.” She said, showing that he had her full attention. 

Tony joined Peter on the ground.

“Can I touch you, Pete?” He asked, and it was a few heartbeats before Peter nodded. Tony placed his hands on the boy’s wrists, peeling them away from his face. “You’ve got this buddy. I know you do. We are right here with you.” Tony said, Peter nodded, then leaned against his mentor, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

“Skip...when we first met, he was so nice. He was kind, and he called me smart. Called me Einstein, told me I was a good kid. He was a friend. We hung out, we played video games, ate junk food, it was  _ fun. _ And then...he started showing me things, like, pictures and videos. He said it was something that older kids watched. It was-was p-porn. And not even normal stuff, the kind where they were tied up, and whipped. And...stuff.” He finished pathetically, shrugging. May went to open her mouth and say something, but Peter held up a hand. He had to get this out before he lost his courage. 

“He-he said that that was what older, more mature kids did. He said that he thought I was special, that he wanted to try it too. The things in the videos.” Peter took a shuddering breath. “I didn’t want it, I didn’t. But he was bigger than me, and I was scared, and then my hands were tied, and I couldn’t move. And I couldn’t breathe, and it  _ hurt. _ ” He was crying again, rushing his words like they were acid on his tongue.

“Oh Peter…” May was crying too as she realized what her nephew was saying. “Why didn’t you tell us, that was so many years ago. We could have gotten you help.” May said, not understanding the full extent.

“It wasn’t just years ago. He-he kept doing it. He stopped babysitting, but he still lived in the building. He would see me, tell me how good I was, how much he liked me. Eventually, I stopped fighting, I just let him do what he wanted. It hurt less that way.” Peter finished, letting out a deep breath.

He couldn’t tell her the worst part, couldn’t tell her that he was a murderer.

“How long?” She asked, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“All-all this time. I let him. But today...when he tried, I fought harder, I pushed him away…” May swallowed down her anger, but managed to spit.

“I’ll kill him.”

“It’s too late…” Peter said, self loathing coating his voice. “I-I already did, May...I- I didn’t mean to!” He rushed, launching to his knees and placing his hands on her thighs, looking into her eyes for forgiveness. “I didn’t, I just, I pushed him, but sometimes, when I get scared, or angry, my strength. I can’t always control it. I pushed too hard. And- I-I-I killed him! I’m a murderer. I should be in jail, in cuffs, I shouldn’t have you worrying and caring for me. I don’t deserve it.” May pulled the boy to his feet and onto the couch where she held him.

“Oh Peter. No, honey, you’re okay. You-you did it to protect yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong.” May assured him, as he continued to cry. “I’m right here, Pete. I got you. I got you.” Tony stood and joined them on the couch, wrapping his arms around the boy too.

They stayed like that for a long time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

After the emotional rollercoaster that was explaining everything to May, they sent Peter to bed, and Tony gave each of the adults a glass of scotch. Pepper had come to join, all of them sitting in silence in the living room. Finally, May sighed, a few tears escaping her eyes.

“Why wouldn’t he tell me? Am I that untrustworthy?” She asked, burying her head in her hands.

“That’s not it, May. He was scared, and he wanted to protect you. He-he didn’t want you to blame yourself, like you are right now.” Pepper reassured, Tony nodded along.

“Blaming anyone isn’t gonna solve this problem, the man who hurt Peter is gone, but the shadow is going to be there for a very long time. The only thing we can do is help and protect him now. I-I have a therapist I highly recommend. She’s the best in the business.” Tony assured, smiling kindly at the women. She looked rather uncomfortable. 

“Tony...That’s kind, but...I think I’ll go with someone I work with…” She hesitated, and it took a moment for Tony to understand why.

“May, you know I am more than willing to add his bill onto mine?” He said, and Pepper sighed.

“That won’t be necessary. I am more than capable of providing for my own kid.” She said, glaring at Tony as if asking him to challenge her. He smiled at her.

“I know May, you’ve been doing it all these years. But you don’t have to. May...I love the kid, I really do. I wanna help, I wanna protect him. And if this is the only way I can, then please...let me do it.” 

May looked at him for a moment, as though trying to determine if this was some kind of trick. Finally, she sighed, nodding. 

Tony let out a breath himself.

“One more thing, May…” He twisted his hands in his lap, his very own nervous gesture, and Pep placed a hand on his shoulder. “I wanna start by apologizing. I never should have left you guys how I did, left him like that. And I wanna make it up to you. Both of you. So, would you maybe like to maybe...spend a little more time around here? Or the cabin?” He asked, holding his breath.

May smiled kindly, shaking her head in exasperation. 

“I’m sure Peter would love that. Me on the other hand...not my cup of tea. But remember what I said, you hurt him…” She made a face at him, and Tony nodded.

Tony was a brave man, but he knew better than to  _ ever  _ cross mama bear like May. But he was so glad that he was getting the okay to spend some time with the boy. He had missed him  _ so much. _

“Tony…?” A small voice called, and the group looked up, it was Peter, standing in the doorway, looking nervous. Tony stood, meeting him over by the doorway. 

“Hey bud, what’s up?” He asked, Peter looked behind the man, and saw that Pepper and May were having a conversation, trying to give the boy his space.

“Do you think...um...maybe can we do something for a little bit? Like go to the lab or something? I-I don’t wanna sleep right now.” There were tears being held in his eyes, but he blinked them away, refusing to let anymore fall.

Tony hesitated, he knew the boy needed his rest, but as Morgan said earlier, it wasn’t a school night, and unlike with his daughter Tony had a hard time saying no to his protege. 

“Okay, but only for an hour, then we need to go to bed.” Tony said, hand hovering over his shoulder for a second before placing it down gently. Peter smiled, and he watched as May stood up.

“Well, if you’re gonna steal my nephew for the rest of the night, I have a double tomorrow so I’m gonna go home for now. I’ll see you tomorrow Pete.” She kissed the boy on top of his head, ruffling the already messy hair. 

“Okay May, I’ll text you later.” He said, smiling at her. She smiled back, and then Pepper stood, offering to walk her out. They chatted a little as they left.

“Let’s go kiddo, I wanted to make some modifications to your suit anyways, let’s see if you agree with my ideas.” He steered Peter in the direction of the lab, noting that the boy seemed to perk up at just the idea of Tony adding anything more to his already decked out suit.

Tony really wanted to talk to the boy about how sorry he was for abandoning him after the snap, but he figured that they had had enough emotional chats for one day, and luckily, the boy would be around more often, so there would be time. 

As they made it to the lab, Tony punched in the code, and let the two of them in. Friday greeted them.

“Good evening Boss, Mr. Parker.” She said, her voice neutral. “It is currently 10:53pm, would you like me to set a reminder for you to leave?” She asked, an addition that Tony added after one to many all nighters in his lab, only to have to work the next day. 

“Yes, for midnight. Thank you Fri.”  
“My pleasure, boss.” She said, and with that, she began to play a low volume rock album from years ago.

“I didn’t know you liked oldies.” Peter remarked, hiding the smile that tried to tug at his lips at the offended face that Tony pulled.

“Oldies? I’m sorry it’s not Ke$ha or whatever you listen to, but ACDC is far from oldies.” He remarked, glaring at the boy. “Geeze, maybe I don’t really need to make any additions to your suit.” He teased, gesturing for the boy to make his way to the work table, where the newest model of the spider suit was already laid out.

“Are these Nano-bots?” Peter asked, gesturing to the suit in random places. Tony nodded proudly, smirking. 

“You bet they are. I thought they might do the trick for reinforcing the material as well as helping patch up the suit and yourself when you get yourself into a sticky situation.” He ruffled the boy’s hair again, gesturing to the suit again.

For some time they worked in relative quiet, and Peter was intrigued by all the additions that Tony had made in the time he was gone.

“Wow, five years really does leave room for a lot of innovations.” Peter said nonchalantly, but Tony knew he was struggling with it more than he would admit. 

“Pete, you know when you were gone…” Tony started, not completely sure what he was going to say, but knowing he needed to say something.

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark, we don’t need to talk about it.” Peter said, cutting him off quickly. He refused to meet his mentor’s eyes. 

“No Pete, it’s not, you should be able to talk about it. You can talk to me about anything you want.” Tony said, so much truth in his voice.

“I-I can’t Mr. Stark. It hurts to talk about.” His voice cracked as he tried, and he cleared his throat.

“What was it that bothers you the most?” Tony figured that was a good place to start.

Peter was silent for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the wall.

“That it didn’t matter.” He said, and Tony was confused by what he meant for a second, so he clarified. “I was gone for 5 years, and it didn’t even matter. The world went on without me, science progressed, friends graduated...and...and no one even noticed I was gone. They cleaned out the apartment, May was gone, I was gone. And  _ no one missed us. _ ” He said, tears stinging his eyes. Tony’s heart broke, and he dropped the tool that he was holding, his hands shaking too much to hold it anymore.

“Peter, that-that’s not true.” Peter wouldn’t look at him, wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“It was like, once May was gone, there was no one else to miss me. To love me. To remember me. It doesn’t even matter if I’m here or not.” Peter’s eyes looked far off, and he wasn’t trying to hurt Tony, but he couldn’t know how wrong he was. Tony rushed forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy and burying his head in the hair there. 

“You have no idea how wrong you are. I missed you everyday, I couldn’t stand the idea of never seeing you again. I almost gave up, almost told bruce to go fuck himself when he sugested something as stupid as time travel. But then, then I thought about how maybe, just  _ maybe _ I could see you again. And when I did, god, I realized how much I missed you.” Tony admitted, Peter lifted his head to say something, but Tony just continued. “Please, please don’t  _ ever _ think that you don’t mean something to me. When I saw you again, all the things I tried to convince myself of, that it would be better if you didn’t see me. That you were safer on your own, I realized that it  _ didn’t matter. _ Because I can’t be without you again. I can’t lose you again.” He finished admitting, finally loosening his grip enough to look down at the boy.

He was once again crying, though it was silent and still.

“I don’t wanna go again. I wanna be here, with you and everyone else. I missed you too Mr. Stark. Please, don’t leave me again. Please.” He said. That was when Friday decided to alert them that it was now midnight, and it would be best for them to head to bed for now. 

Mr. Stark smiled at Peter, and gestured toward the exit of the lab.

They walked in silence to Peter’s room, and Tony said goodnight, but as he went to turn away, Peter grabbed his sleeve.

“Can you…” Peter hesitated, his face painting pink with blush. “Can you stay with me tonight?” He asked, not looking up. Tony would be lying if he said that that didn’t surprise him, but he hid it quickly, nodding and entering into the boy’s room.


End file.
